Automatic wedge for driving-boxes.



F. W. M'ARHN. AUTOMATIC WEDGE FOR DRIVING BOXES- APPLICATION FILED SEPT- l, I917.

Patented June 4, 1918;

llll'llll FREDERICK W. MTIN, OF NEW YORII, N. Y., ASSIGNOB .lO FRANKLIN RAILWAY SUPPLY COMP, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATTC WEDGE FOR DRIVING-BOXES.

eeeaee.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented June at, 918,

I Application filed September 1, 1817. Serial No. 189,298.

Boxes, of which improvement the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the adjustable mounting of the driving axle-box in the frame or pedestal of locomotives.

In the standard construction as heretofore used the driving-box is provided with flanges extending upon opposite sides of the pedestal jaws, and between the box and the jaw at one side is located a wedge or wed es for automatically taking up e wear etween the driving-box and frame, the wedge being formed with flanges also extending upon both front and rear sides of the pedestal jaw. A wear shoe having like flanges has also been used atthe opposite side of the driving-box. Some trouble has been experienced with this form of automatic wedgeon account of the breaking of the flanges which necessitates a replacement by;

an tire new wedge or shoe.

The object of my invention is to eliminate the flanges from the wedges or shoes, and provide instead, inde endent removable wear strips bolted or nveted to the inner and outer sides of the pedestal jaw, the strips extending beyond the bearing face of the pedestal jaw and serving as guides for the wedge or wedges.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side elevation, with one half of the driving-box and wedges indicated in section; Fig. 2 a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a similar section showing a modification.

According to the construction shown the locomotive frame is formed with the usual pedestal jaws 4 and 5, between which is mounted the driving axle-box 6, having flanges 7 and 8. The jaw 4 at one side is located between said inclined face of the pedestal jaw and the driving-box. Two such wedges are shown in the drawing, the ad usting wedge 9, engaging the pedestal, and the floating wedge 10, hearing against a surface on the driving-box which may also be slightly inclined. According to my im provement separate wear strips 11, are re-- movabl attached to the inner and outer sides 0 the pedestal, preferably by bolts 01' rlvets, and extend beyond the face of the jaw for the purpose of guiding the wedge 9. The floating wedge 10, may extend the full width between the flanges of the drivingbox, as shown in Fig. 2, or it may be of the same width as the adjusting wedge 9, and the wear strips 11 may be extended atthe sides of both wedges to guide the same, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The adjusting wedge is actuated by the spring 12 and o crates in the usual way toautomatically ta e u the wear between the driving-box and pe estal.

The improved wear strips not onl serve as a guide for the wedge but also stiflen the connection between the pedestal and driving-hox and take the wear of the drivlng-box flanges. When any one of these stri s becomes worn or broken it may be rea ily removed and replaced without renewing the wedges. By the use of these independent wear strips they may be made of steel or of diflerent metal from the wedges and thereby increase the durability and strength of the construction.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a drivi -box pedestal, of a wed e .of substantially the same width as the t ickness of the pedestal jaw, and removable wear strips attached to the front and rear sides of the pedestal and extending upon opposite sides of the wedge to guide the same.

2. The combination with a pedestal, a driving-box having flanges, and a wedge for taking up wear, of removable wear strips attached to the front and rear sides of the driving-box, and removable wear strips atpedestal and extending between the sides of tached to the sides of the pedestal and ex- 10 the Wedge and the flanges of the driving-box. tending upon opposite sides of the adjusting 3. The combination with a pedestal, and- Wedge.

5 a driving-box having flanges, of an adjust- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ing Wedge of substantially the same Width my hand. as the thickness of the pedestal, a floating Wedge extending between the flanges of the FREDERICK W. MARTIN. 

